Why Bernie Stayed and Why Serena Doesn't Kill Her For It
by atearsarahjane
Summary: The only reason Serena and I will accept for Bernie electing to stay in the Ukraine. And it's a bloody good excuse at that. For the sake of this fic Bernie is a few years younger than Jemma is. She's mid 40's in this.
1. Chapter 1

'I got your email.' Bernie's voice was crackly over the faint line, Serena almost had to strain to understand what she was saying. Serena supposed Bernie must still be in the unit she was setting up judging from the persistent beeping in the background. Her ire grew. The blonde couldn't even do her the courtesy, after all she had put her through, of waiting until she was outside to phone her. 4 whole days since she had sent the email, 4 days since Henrik had announced that Miss Bernie Wolfe had elected to stay halfway across the world even though her job was done and she had only now read the email? Bullshit.

'Bernie! What the hell do you think you're playing at staying in the Ukraine? It's all well and good you swanning off because of us, and believe me I have a lot of stern words for you on that matter, but AAU needs you. Raf's on a well-earned break and Fletch is still recovering and we bloody well need another pair of skilled hands here.'

'Serena-'

'No you shut up Berenice Griselda Wolfe. Do you have any idea what you've put me through these past 7 weeks? Half the hospital is talking about us, or more specifically me, behind my back and the other half are doing it to my face. There's a nursery rhyme and everything. _Crazy Campbell pudding and pie, kissed the girl and made her cry._ Apparently you're crying. Where they got that idea from I have no idea as I'm the one Raf found crying in our office. Twice! So out with it then, hit me with a reason why I shouldn't storm over there and murder you with my bare hands.'

'I gave birth. To a baby.'

'What?' That had definitely not been what Serena had expected.


	2. Chapter 2

_'I gave birth. To a baby.'_

 _'What?' That had definitely not been what Serena had expected._

* * *

'I'm sorry. The line is bad, I think I must have misheard what you said. I could have sworn you just announced you'd had a baby.'

'I did.'

'But... you...' Serena dropped down onto the sofa, her legs giving way in shock. Bernie laughed sharply down the phone at the confusion from the usually certain surgeon.

'I didn't even know I was pregnant. I collapsed at work from what I thought was just a bad stomach ache and when I woke up they'd yanked a baby out of me. I wasn't really showing at all, I assumed the weight gain I'd had was because of the landlady here force feeding me every five minutes. There was no nausea, no interruption to my cycle. I had no clue.'

'Oh wow.'

'Yeah. She was quite the surprise. A brilliant one though. One of my colleagues here contacted Hanssen and told them I wasn't coming back. My mind has been all over the place since she arrived so they took pity on me. I was due to come home as soon as I was finished, I missed you too much. God Serena she's so small, she's seven weeks premature, hooked up to machines. We see people with life-saving precautions every day but it's so different when it's your own child.'

'2 months? Christ Bernie. Is she alright?'

'She will be. The first 48 hours were the worst, especially as the nurses wouldn't let me leave my bed at first whilst I recovered from the caesarean. She's four days old now and already so much stronger than she started. I'm so proud of her. She'll be in here for at least a month before we can even think about coming back home. Even then I wouldn't want to take her on a plane at so young an age.'

Of course. Take as long as you need, she needs you far more than any of us. The hospital will survive. So if she's 7 months then...'

'One night stand. I know right, the only guy I sleep with in 27 years who isn't my husband and I end up pregnant. I'm 46 Serena. How am I supposed to raise a child with likely long term medical complications alone at my age? I'll be almost 70 by the time she's all grown up. Maybe I should move in with Raf and Fletch and we can raise 5 children between us all. That would take some of the pressure off of them. Sort of. Or maybe I should let some younger family take her and give her the childhood she deserves with a mother that has the energy to chase her around without fear of breaking a hip.'

'Don't be ridiculous. Whatever else may have happened between us in the past you are my best friend and you are more than welcome to stay at mine for as long as you need. Let's really kick the AAU family up a gear. Which hospital are you at?

It's called Isida. It's no Holby but then again nowhere is. I really miss Holby, I never thought I would when I started working there but the people, you, made it home.'

'Holby misses you too. Would you send me a photo of her?'

'I can do one better.' With that Bernie abruptly hung up leaving a surprised Serena to take in the recent developments. Just as she had begun to get her head around the fact that there was a new baby Wolfe in the world her phone began to ping with the FaceTime she'd longed to have for weeks. Accepting it eagerly her breath was stolen from her as a tiny baby, covered in wires, appears on her screen. 'Serena Campbell meet my daughter.'

'Oh Bernie. She's beautiful, Elinor aside she's the most precious little thing I've ever seen. I've just realised-I never asked if she had a name.'

'I haven't decided yet. Marcus named the others so I've never had to try before. I'm probably going to screw her up enough as it is without giving her the wrong name. I know first-hand the perils of having a shit name.'

'I like Berenice!' Serena cried out. It was true that it was hardly a common name for anyone under the age of 90 but Bernie made it work, if not only through being known as Bernie.

'It's grown on me but I never forgave my parents for Griselda. I sound like an evil step sister.'

'But a very pretty evil step sister.' The picture switched direction and Serena lay eyes on the woman she loved. Her hair was thrown up into a messy bun, her eyes coupled with bags to cause envy in a shopaholic, but she'd never looked more beautiful to her.

'Yes I'm feeling extremely pretty right now as you can well see.'

'Hello you. You look beautiful. Sorry I-no wait I'm not sorry. You look beautiful because you are the most gorgeous person I have even known and I refuse to hide that anymore. I don't care, well I do care, I care very much actually, but I don't care if it scares you because you can't run off to another country this time.'

'I appreciate that. You look great too, you always do. Serena I'm so sorry for leaving like I did, I'm sorry the hospital is talking about us, about you, I'm sorry that that stupid nursery rhyme exists. I'm sorry I was too much of a coward to believe that you knew how you felt, I'm sorry I was too much of a coward to allow myself to tell you I felt the same. I guess it was a lucky escape for you though in the long run.'

'What do you mean?'

'Well it's just lucky that I was a coward otherwise you'd be landed with a girlfriend with a newborn. At least this way you can avoid that.'

'Bernie I told you-you are my best friend and I will support you. Whatever happens between us in the future-if we end up together for the rest of our lives or if we go back to being friends, baby is going to be a big part of my life if I have anything to say about it. I've already fallen for the tiny angry Buddha and I cannot wait to meet her in the flesh.'

'You mean it? You're still willing to give us a chance? After all the hurt I've caused to you and now with added baggage?'

'Well I think we need to have a long talk about exactly where to go from here when I see you in person but I told you before you left that I was falling in love with you and that hasn't changed. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that twaddle.'

'Serena, I'm falling in love with you too.' Bernie admitted. Serena grinned cynically, months of wanting to hear those words fall from the lips she couldn't help but dream about and it finally happened over the phone, thousands of miles apart, after Bernie's daughter made an unexpected and dramatic entrance into the world.

'Good. Because I'm coming over to see you, I've just texted Jason to see if he wants to visit Ukraine or stay with a carer, I've made an emergency appointment with Henrik and I've booked a provisional plane for in a few days time. I want to, I need to, see you and little Wolfe.'

'I couldn't ask you to drop your life like that.'

'You didn't ask, and as much as it pains me to admit it I don't have much of a life without you around anymore. I never thought I'd be the sort of person to mope, properly mope, over a person but that's exactly what you've done to me.'

'Sorry.

'I want to look at her again.'

'She's really something isn't she. I know I joked earlier about giving her to a younger family, and I've only known she was here four days ago, but I can't imagine not having her in my life. There was a time when I only had two children to love and that seems wrong now.'

'Have you told them?'

'I phoned Cam and told him, he's going to come out this weekend after his med school catch up lectures are finished, Char wouldn't pick up the phone so I asked Cam to tell her. I haven't heard from either of them since but Cam seemed to be father excited to have another sister. Are you sure you don't mind coming over? I must admit I'd appreciate it.'

'Of course I don't mind. I'd visit you anyway even without angry Buddha. We are at the precipice of something amazing between us and I don't want to lose that just because you decided to bugger off for a while.'

'Thank you. I should probably let you go, plans to make and people to see. I'll send you some proper photos of her. I expect they'll be plastered all over the hospital by this time tomorrow?'

'Is it alright for me to do that? I won't tell anyone if you want to wait and show her to them yourself.'

'Go ahead. You're taking us both on so you have every right. Oh no wait I didn't mean to say that.'

'It's okay. I know what you meant.'

'I'll see you soon. You too little one. Bernie congratulations. Really and truly congratulations. I couldn't be happier for you.'

'Bye.'

'Bye Bernie.'

Well then. She had some packing to do and a nephew to speak to.


End file.
